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WHY ENGINEERING?
Everyone knows how medical professionals play a role in health. What about engineers?
We build systems that proactively protect the health of displaced communities and their environment. Here's how:
01
TREAT THE SOURCE
Our environment directly impacts our health. Rather than responding to the consequences of disease, Solidarity works proactively to build systems that protect health and prevent disease.
Some statistics speak for themselves. According to UNICEF:
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Every year, 85,700 children under the age of 15 die from diarrhea linked to unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions.
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Preventable WASH-related disease is the leading cause of death for displaced children.
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In areas of conflict, children are nearly 20 times more likely to die from diarrheal disease than from the conflict itself.
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Working alongside healthcare professionals allows us to tackle problems collaboratively. Medical professionals often treat the symptoms of disease. Engineers can treat the cause. Only together can we solve health-related problems and achieve our joint goal of reduced suffering.​​
02
A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS
Engineers love breaking down complex problems into parts and subsystems; this is called a systems approach.
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Solidarity believes in the use of systems-thinking to foster sustainable change, better understand and provide lifesaving aid in complex regions and crises. With global displacement at an all-time high, all of our programs are designed to create systems that empower individuals in times of extreme vulnerability.
03
INTERSECTION OF EMERGENCY AND DEVELOPMENT
Traditional humanitarian response systems categorize efforts into disaster/emergency response (which is immediate but temporary) or development (which is long-term). The reality of modern displacement is that in many cases, displacement is both an immediate disaster and a potentially indefinite circumstance. This gap in how populations are defined leads to an ever-widening chasm in the delivery of humanitarian aid.
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To close this gap, Solidarity has a wide range of WASH and infrastructure activities that address both sudden onset needs and long-term regional needs.
The Solution:
HUMANITARIAN ENGINEERING
Humanitarian engineering is the use of scientific and technological skills to improve the well-being of populations with limited fundamental resources.
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Solidarity works to improve the environment of people in crisis by focusing on public health interventions. Our projects are community-driven, multi-disciplinary, and focus on finding simple solutions to basic needs.